Today

Ah, the start of a new year!  A time of retrospection.  A time of projection.  A time of big plans for the future.

I had considered writing a post about my New Years' Resolutions/Goals/Aspirations, and I may still do that in the next few days.  But instead I'm going to include a poem that my kids and I are going to begin memorizing this week.  It's about today.  It's about not letting dreams of the future or regrets of the past keep you from living today.  Appropriate, no?

Now by Adelaide Anne Procter

Rise! for the day is passing,
And you lie dreaming on;
The others have buckled their armour,
And forth to the fight are gone:
A place in the ranks awaits you,
Each man has some part to play;
The Past and the Future are nothing,
In the face of the stern To-day.

Rise from your dreams of the Future --
Of gaining some hard-fought field;
Of storming some airy fortress,
Or bidding some giant yield;
Your Future has deeds of glory,
Of honour (God grant it may!)
But your arm will never be stronger,
Or the need so great as To-day.

Rise! if the Past detains you,
Her sunshine and storms forget;
No chains so unworthy to hold you
As those of a vain regret:
Sad or bright, she is lifeless ever,
Cast her phantom arms away,
Nor look back, save to learn the lesson
Of a nobler strife To-day.

Rise! for the day is passing:
The sound that you scarcely hear
Is the enemy marching to battle --
Arise! for the foe is here!
Stay not to sharpen your weapons,
Or the hour will strike at last,
When, from dreams of a coming battle,
You may wake to find it past!

Don't you just love that?  I need to find some way to make that play on my alarm.  I think it would be hard to hit the snooze after hearing that.  :)

I think it's Biblical, too.  (No, not from the Bible itself, but in keeping with it's precepts.)  Yes, God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  But He told Moses that His name is I AM.  Today.  Right now.  He is.  Let's learn from Him today.